I have had a look, and a nibble, at Sorrentino’s “light and healthy” summer menu. (Note to self: if you make a pig of yourself, it’s never light and healthy.)

If, however, you enter the proposition with a level head on your shoulders, it’s true that Sorrentino’s summer menu offers some of the season’s freshest flavours, available in a couple of different sizes, so you can mix it up without, uh, making a pig of yourself.

Over lunch at the downtown location with Crystal Armstrong, Sorrentino’s marketing director, I tried the Assaggini, or little tastes, a few small bites priced at $3 each, nice with a summer cocktail. Think appies such as speck prosciutto and melon (spec being a slightly heartier version of prosciutto made from the shoulder rather than the pig’s leg), as well as arancino (rice ball) with aioli, and prawns with chili apricot sauce. Sipping a Sgroppino (a cross between a champagne cocktail and a dessert featuring prosecco, grappa, limoncello and lemon sorbetto) makes it extra authentic. Peach bellini popsicles, another summer special, would be my recommendation for the patio diners among us.

Though I don’t think of mahi-mahi as particularly Italian, Sorrentino’s downtown head chef, Jeff Jackson, has gone fusion with his summer fish entree – a pistachio encrusted mahi mahi with roasted cauliflower puree, sauteed spinach, fava beans, and curry cardamom coconut sauce. The piece he cooked for me was perfect, a little translucent in the middle just to make sure it never veers toward dry. For gluten-free diners, all Sorrentino’s restaurant locations have corn pasta (in picture at right) served with accompaniments such as grape tomatoes, fresh basil and fior di latte mozzarella.

By the way, chef Jackson, is on his way to Chicago next week to sample the Italian fare in that celebrated food city, along with chef Sonny Sung of Bistecca. Can’t wait to see what ideas they bring home for Edmontonians.

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